Genesis
by faeriemischief
Summary: "I don't exist." Piper had always done everything right—according to the rules. The vow made to blindly follow a man at the centre of the verse, somehow changed to a man she made the centre of her verse. Ordered to hunt down and deliver the Tam siblings, after aiding River's escape, she adopts the crew as if they were her own misfit family.


It was Wednesday morning—market day and all the vendors adored stalls with their best goods they could sell. Mostly it wasn't much, extra food, protein, tea and rice. It was nothing compared to the Inner planets, where everything was shiny, new varieties of everything that seemed endless and clean. Here, the farther out you came everything became bleak, dull, sparse and dirty. Piper who watching the people of the market with their comings and goings, basked in the life it held. People shouting and haggling for prices, others were immersed in gossip with the eats the market had to share and the children playing while their parents earned them dinner for the night. This was her favorite part of the job, watching them all as if she belonged.

As she drifted through the crowds from stall to stall she kept a close eye on a man that did everything but shout that he did not belong. In a dark suit, hands pressed close to himself and dodging offers for deals or of products. He was with a small group of men and women that traveled with a large metal container that was headed for the docks. The clean man in a suit, kept his focus on the whereabouts the cargo was, occasionally glancing at the readings on its side while the others kept their focus sweeping through the crowds. Piper slapped coins in the hand of the nearest vendor, "I'll take two" she said and in return she was given steamed buns. Tucking one into her pack and the other in her mouth, she wandered into the loading bay of the docks.

Here the cargo ships docked taking on cargo of human and goods alike. In the center was a registered log of where the ships came and were headed. Piper began to peruse the list while waiting for the Doctor to show. With no particular ship to look for, her ears drifted to a man a woman to the side. The man towing is belongings with him was stopped by a pretty young woman, twirling an umbrella in her hands. In no time the young woman closed a deal for him to board her ship, using sweet charms that hooked the preacher who must have spent a long time away at the Abbey.

Finally, the Doctor came and without many words exchanged, the crew with him departed. He walked over to the station next to her, also checking for his destination. Piper had a few theories as to where he might go, and was curious to see which one he would pick and when she saw him glance up, squinting at the Firefly ship, it's destination: Bouros. He cleared his throat, smoothed down his jacket and approached the woman with the umbrella. Suddenly, a man skidded to such a quick stop next to her, he nearly fell. Piper watched him from the corner of her eye, where in one glance at the registry that the doctor left his selection open to. The man had sweat beading on his forehead and his chest moved rapidly leaving her to suspect he was running or struggling. He closed the screen and reached for something in his pocket where he fumbled to extract it. "Going to Bouros?" Piper called out to him which startled him. His eyes were watching the doctor closely when he was sure it didn't attract attention.

He turned to her, "Yes." He sighed.

"Me too," Piper approached him, acting as a young traveler out for a spell. "I was thinking of this Firefly here, do you think the price they have is reasonable?"

"What makes you think I would know?"

"I saw you pulling out your bankbook and got me thinking this might be worth the price." She smiled. "I'm Winnie, by the way" Piper extender her hand. The man looked wary to the gesture be took it anyways.

"Dobson."

"Well, nice meeting you! Hopefully we'll be meeting again!" Dobson recoiled his hand, nodded and walked away while shooting covert glances at the doctor. His attempt to shift through the crowd was poor. Her guess was he saw the bounty posting on the cortex, ass-kissed the right officer and by some dumb luck ended up in the right place at the right time. But that luck ended for him today, and karma was going to be swiftly delivered. What right did he have to try and steal her bounty? Dobson quickly settled for the offered price with the young woman.

"I just need to collect some supplies quickly, you're leaving by 10:00?"

"Oh! But we have more than enough on the ship to eat!"

"I won't be more than a moment," he said hurriedly, stumbled and disappeared towards the nearest ally. He was making it even easier for Piper by doing just that. She felt that she could have disposed of him, even in this crowded area but the alley way just made it that much easier for the disposal of his body. Not to mention collecting his cortex.

Piper peered around the corner with a small, slim mirror where she spied him not more than five metres in. she reached into her jacket where her fingers traced the jaws and fangs of a roaring, jade tiger on the hilt of her concealed blade. " _Goodbye, Mr. Dobson."_ Her muscles tensed, ready to strike when suddenly he cursed loudly, spun around and slipped out the other end of the alley.

A slight sigh of regret escaped her mouth, when she thought " _Well it wouldn't be that fun, if it wasn't all that too easy, now would it?"_


End file.
